Draft Costco EIR nearly ready

The draft version of the Environmental Impact Report for the planned Costco store on Airport Park Boulevard is nearly ready for review, according to the Ukiah Planning Department.

Senior Planner Kim Jordan told the Ukiah Planning Commission Wednesday the draft EIR will be ready Jan. 30, and staff "should have it ready for the commission on (Feb. 1)."

Jordan said a public hearing on the document will be scheduled for Feb. 27.

"How similar will (this EIR) be to the Walmart one?" asked Commissioner Mike Whetzel, and Jordan responded with "I don't know how to answer that. The length will be similar."

"Is there anybody on the Costco payroll?" Whetzel asked, referring to the allegation during certification of the EIR for the rejected expansion of the Walmart store on Airport Park Boulevard that there was a conflict of interest regarding the person hired to prepare the urban decay and fiscal impact study section of the EIR, Amy Herman of CB Richard Ellis, because of Walmart's relationship with CBRE.

Environmental Science Associates prepared the EIR for both the Walmart and Costco stores. The EIR for the Walmart store determined the expansion would trigger significant negative impacts, including traffic congestion on Highway 101.

The commission certified the Walmart EIR, but the majority of the members did not feel that the negative impacts outweighed the positive ones and voted down the expansion.

As part of its negotiations with Costco, the City of Ukiah has agreed to complete improvements in and around the Redwood Business Park to mitigate the traffic concerns, however funding for those improvements is not certain.

Some of the money the city hoped to use is part of the several million dollars worth of bonds the former Ukiah Redevelopment Agency sold in 2011, but city officials may have to go to court to use those funds.

Assistant City Manager Sage Sangiacomo has said that city staff "exhausted our administrative remedies (for being able to use the bonds)," and legal remedies would likely be necessary.

"I think what we'll have to grapple with in the future is: what is in the best interest of our constituents?" said City Manager Jane Chambers. "Do we fight, or do we move on? I feel angry that we got put into this position at all. It's a sad situation."

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.